phosphate test kit

[countrykat]

Ok, I'm sure some of you have read some of my earlier posts about phosphates. I have been battling p04 for almost 2 years with no success. The lowest I have been able to get it to was .08 in my display tank. I have been using the red sea kit since day one. I have tested it in my wc saltwater tank and it has never been below .07. Within the last week I was part of another thread talking about the colors on the red sea test kit. The specific kit we were talking about was the red sea KH kit. The OP one that was was having problems with KH because the color on his card I believe was a blue stop line. My card show it as being a orange stop line. They called red sea and was told that the stop line is pink. Well today I tested the water coming straight out of my ro/di unit, I have installed a second di unit with a TDS meter, I am showing 0 on the tds meter and .08 on the red sea test kit. With the communications that have taken place over the last week I now beive I may have .01 P04 in my display tank. I am considering getting a hanna checker to substantiate my findings but am curious if anyone else has had this problem with the rs test kit.

[coralsnaked]

I use the red Sea Pro color wheel for PO4 and if it reads 0.0 PO4 then I know I'm at or below.02 ppm. If it reads .02 then I know I'm somewhere between 0.02 - .04 ppm so I start the GFO or change out what I'm currently using. The Hanna meter also has a meaure of inaccuracy although it is far more fool proof. Personally i feel like I can run the wheel pretty good so i do not use a meter.

Are you running an SPS tank? Are you having pest problems w/ algae?

[disc1]

The specific color hue isn't an issue on a titration like the alk test. In those tests you are looking for a change in color, not any one specific hue.

A phosphate test on the other hand is colorimetric. In those tests the exact color is the important thing.

So I don't know that the discussion on alk tests really pertains to the phosphate test.

[countrykat]

The specific color hue isn't an issue on a titration like the alk test. In those tests you are looking for a change in color, not any one specific hue.

A phosphate test on the other hand is colorimetric. In those tests the exact color is the important thing.

So I don't know that the discussion on alk tests really pertains to the phosphate test.

I don't want to compare the 2 tests but was merely takling about the colors on the cards. If it can be wrong on one then I'm sure it can be off on 2.

[bertoni]

All test kits get problems reported about them eventually, but the Red Sea phosphate kit has gotten generally good reviews. That doesn't mean yours works, though. I think that getting a second opinion is going to be required. That's just the nature of hobbyist test kits. :(